Leaves Imprint

A poem

Originally published in The Garden of Neuro on Nov. 3, 2023.

The Garden of Neuro’s micro poetry challenge called for poems on the theme leaves. The challenge was facilitated by Nolcha Fox.

A micro-poem is 10 lines, not counting the title or blank lines.

For more details about the micro poetry challenge, open to men and women, click here.

This poem is dedicated to my father.

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Leaves imprint

My father’s rough-hewn hands crafted concrete.
Dig. Frame. Mix. Pour. Screed. Finish.
Curing, sealing and cutting. Like a hard artist.
“Mangio cemento,” he used to say. I eat cement.
And mark an imaginary line level in the air
with one finger to show perfection in his work.
He’s gone but some of his concrete art remains.
Autumn foliage embeds itself in his craft,
their phantom afterimage leaves, an imprint
like his photo on my iPad before fading to black.